Petrol engine ‘cannot compete’: Mitsubishi boss

The head of Japanese car making giant Mitsubishi says traditional petrol and diesel engines will not be able to compete with the new breed of more affordable electric vehicles.

Speaking to media during a rare Australian visit, Mitsubishi president Osamu Masuko said stricter emissions regulations and the massive investment being made in next generation battery technology would make electric cars a more viable option for many new-car buyers in years to come.

He said battery companies, under various government incentives, were working on technology that would see electric cars be able to travel 1000km on a single charge and be fitted with batteries that could be cheaper to produce than traditional mechanical engines.

“Once we see such things being realised in future the petrol engine cannot compete,” said Masuko.

“All battery producers are competing and developing and working very hard (to advance the technology).”

However, he warned it would rely on recharging infrastructure and countries being “ready” for electric cars.

He also said part of the predicted increasing appeal of electric cars – Mitsubishi says 20 per cent of the cars it produces by 2020 will be pure electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles – would come from the increased costs associated with making petrol and diesel engines meet future regulations.